Samuel Leaves Patriots for a 6-Year Deal With the Eagles

By JUDY BATTISTA

Published: March 1, 2008

Cornerback Asante Samuel, a two-time Pro Bowl selection who won two championship rings in New England but who was beaten by David Tyree for a touchdown and dropped what might have been a game-saving interception in the Super Bowl last month, signed a six-year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles on Friday.

Samuel, who had 16 interceptions in the last two seasons, was regarded as one of the few premier players in a thin free-agent market. Coach Andy Reid called him the best cornerback in football, and the Eagles are believed to have given him close to $10 million a year with $20 million guaranteed.

Samuel said he considered staying in New England for less money. But when he was asked if he felt underappreciated there, he replied, ''No comment.''

''I understand that this is a business,'' Samuel said at a news conference. ''Everybody handles their business in their own way. I just had to go with what I felt was best for my family and me. Everybody is happy, and hopefully I made my mama proud.''

Philadelphia had only 11 interceptions last season and did not score a defensive touchdown. Samuel, who received the franchise tag from the Patriots last year in exchange for the team's promise not to use it again to protect him, has tied the N.F.L. career record with three interception returns for touchdowns in the playoffs.

The Patriots re-signed linebacker Tedy Bruschi and receiver Kelley Washington, but the biggest intrigue surrounds the free-agent player they have not re-signed: Randy Moss. After his record-breaking season, Moss is intriguing to others, particularly to a team like the Cowboys, who are believed to be interested in pairing him with Terrell Owens in what would be a combustible, but probably unstoppable, receiver tandem.

Moss and the Patriots have professed a desire to have him return to New England, but almost everyone expected a deal to be completed immediately after free agency began, leading to reports that the two sides are nowhere near a deal.

The Dolphins, desperate to remake a foundering franchise under their new guru Bill Parcells, went on a spree, acquiring a quarterback, a guard, a wide receiver, a linebacker, a tight end and defensive tackles -- none of them considered top-tier players. The Dolphins traded draft picks to Dallas for defensive tackle Jason Ferguson, whom Parcells drafted while with the Jets and then brought to Dallas in 2005. Ferguson tore his biceps muscle in the season opener and missed the rest of the 2007 season.

He was considered expendable by the Cowboys, but is expected to anchor a Dolphins defense that will switch to Parcells's preferred 3-4 defense.

According to the NFL Network, the Dolphins also signed quarterback Josh McCown, who started nine games for the Raiders last season. Given the woeful state of the position in Miami -- Trent Green and Cleo Lemon are gone and the rookie John Beck was unimpressive -- McCown could wind up starting.

They also acquired Reggie Torbor, a backup linebacker with the Giants.

Derek Anderson, the out-of-nowhere quarterback success story for Cleveland last season, spent only a few hours as a free agent, agreeing to a three-year contract with the Browns early Friday morning, according to The Cleveland Plain Dealer, hours after he became a restricted free agent. Had Anderson, who went 10-5 after becoming the starter last season, not agreed to the deal, he most likely would have drawn interest from other teams because successful starting quarterbacks rarely hit the open market.

Browns General Manager Phil Savage had forecast that if another team would have made an offer for Anderson, the Browns would probably not have been able to match it. The Browns would have received first- and third-round draft picks in compensation for losing Anderson, and the Browns' offense -- the strength of the team last season -- would have been turned over to the former first-round draft pick Brady Quinn.

Instead the Browns get their wish: to let the quarterbacks battle it out for the starting job in training camp. The Browns could also choose to trade Anderson or Quinn to reap draft picks that would help improve a team that nearly made the playoffs last season.

PHOTO: Asante Samuel, right, could not prevent David Tyree's touchdown catch in the Super Bowl.(PHOTOGRAPH BY CHARLIE REIDEL/ASSOCIATED PRESS)